River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-03-24

farming, will be admitted by all. But
many things at once occur to the mind OF
the thoughtful farmer which quickly dis
sipate all dreams of large profits, IL indeed
any profits at all commensurate with the
labor and risks. can be found when he
is ready to send his animals to market.
Much outlay is necessary before he can
meet the severity of the cold season by
adequate protection. Full granaries must
be provided for the hungry mouths
through the long months of winter. Con
slant care and attention by one interested
TO provide drink. to preserve cleanli ness
and secure health, will make the labor an
important item of expense. When ready
for market he finds the prices he is to
receive gagged by the value and abund-
ance of the supplies from the broad
ranches of the west and southwest, where
abundance of capital eliminating the
many small expenses of the individual
farmer and reducing all costs to the
least, enables it to furnish meat for the
million and realize a fair profit at prices
which will often tax the wisdom of the
best farmers to pay the mere expense of
feed. The experience of the present
time in marketing stock is conclusive
evidence that ouly the most judicious
management will leave any recompense
for handling.
The problem then before us is, how can
we best use our own productions and the
various feeds readily accessible to us and
from them realize the most benefit to our
farms and incomes? Grass, clover, rye,
oats, barley and corn are some of our best
crops. Wheat is now an exception, ex-
perience tells US. For sheep, clover,
straw, and cornstalks if seasonably cured
and properly cared for, will carry them
through our winters in good order with
out any grain. Prof. Henry tells us how
we can most cheaply make pork from
shorts and corn; but it may not be so
clear how we can best use some of our
productions. Prof. Armsby has given us
many valuable suggestions in his papers
contained in the Third Annual Report of
the Experiment Station, but how far
they may become of practical value to
the average farmer, will depend some
what upon how much diligent study he
gives them and how he uses or fails to
use them.
We have valuable tables given us on
the average composition of feeding stufs,
and also the per centage of digestible
matter contained therein. From them
we learn that rye contains almost fifty
per cent. less of the flesh-forming ele-
ments of food than bran. The market
price of rye the past fall would enable the
farmer to buy almost two tons of bran for
one ton of rye. OF course his interest
would direct the sale of the rye and the
purchase of bran. A similar comparison
with oats, barley and corn, might suggest
the advantage of exchange or combina-
tions which would give more economical
and profitable results than any of these
grains used as feed separately. But are
these tables just what they might seem
to be, to the average farmer? They tell
us that of clover hay 40 per cent. and OF
timothy hay AZ per cent. is digestiblei
that of oats 81 per cent. and of corn over
so per cent. is digestible material; that
IF wheat bran 50 per cent is digestible
that of buckwheat bran 81 per cent. is
digestible, and it is the richest feed of all
the brans. Without further comparison
an important question occurs here. Are
these feeds digesiible to the extent herein
named under the ordinary conditions in
which they are used? If they are not,
can they be made more digestible for
feeding to stock, and how?
In December last, at this place, Prof
| Armsby, if we understood him correctly,
stated that these foods were digestible to
the extent named in these tables under
the ordinary conditions of use. But he
failed to explain to US, how in feeding
bran, for example SO per cent. could be
| appropriated by the animal and at the
same time IS per cent. of the fertilizing
material be left in the manure. These
tables are valuable because from them
we can learn where to find the cheapest
supply of proteine, which is the material
into which we should put our money
when buying feed For the most of us
| our hay, stalks and straw viii furnish al
abundance of carb. hydrates. We are
told that by grinding feed and mixing il
with cut hay and straw, moistened, il
will become better digested by the horse:
and cattle. This subject of animal di
| gestion is one worthy of much study anC
experiment. We all know that the
richer tbs food the richer will be the
manure, and the wise farmer will see il
returned to the soil.
The variety of natural growth in oul
pastures will suggest to the thoughtful
farmer the value of variety of food il
the most successful feeding of stock Va
riety of food Is the key to health anC
physical thrift in our families. Is it les
so among our domestic animals? Shal
we not secure the most profit, by wisdom
in selection and variety in combination
and use for the most part, of our pro
auctions, and thus insure health, thrift
and growth to our animals? This subjec
opens a wide field, in which our Expert
mental Stations may labor with profit Il
the farmer-one in which they are al
ready laboring and giving us many sug
gestions worthy of our examination anC
trial.
While discussing this matter of pro
viding for our stock not the least i'm
portant item Of care and provision : il
drink. All admit that sufficient suppl,
of pure water for all stock is a necessit,
if we would regard their health, bu
there is variety of opinion and practic
among our best farmers as to the defni